Founded in 1978, the Alaska Wildlife Alliance is the oldest grassroots, Alaskan-based group dedicated entirely to the protection of our state’s wildlife.
Meet our Staff
Chelsey Cook
Communications Director
Chelsey first came to Alaska in 2014. After serving in the US Army, she began working as a mountaineering and backpacking guide, and the seasons she spent in the Alaska Range, ANWR, Lake Clark National Park, and other corners of Alaska inspired a deep love of the state’s landscapes and wildlife.
Chelsey has a Master’s in Creative Writing from the University of Cambridge and specializes in the intersection of the outdoors, conservation, and the human experience. She has written for numerous Alaskan organizations and outdoor publications, and has published work in National Geographic, ExplorersWeb, and Wide Open Spaces. When she’s not reading or writing, Chelsey can be found in the mountains biking, backcountry skiing, and mountaineering.
Joni Kitmiiq Spiess
Tribal Wildlife and Subsistence Liaison
Joni Kitmiiq Spiess, was born in Nome, Alaska and is of Inupiaq heritage. Joni practices and advocates for Subsistence. Keeping connection to people and the land ensures a direct link to honoring ancestral traditions. She advocates for these needs as an elected member of the Anchorage Advisory Committee for the Board of Game. She has experience writing books, Alaska Native Games and How to Play Them, Mittens and Mukluks and various State and National curriculum publications. As a long time educator in the state of Alaska, Joni saw and responded to the need for students to have access to literature that represent their culture and identity. It is one of her goals to continue this work. Most recently, Joni worked as an Archivist for Inuit Circumpolar Council and is working on helping make public documents from The Alaska Native Review Commission's written and public testimony from the Berger Commission is currently doing contract work for The Arctic Research Consortium of the United States.
JOSEPH MOLINA
Climate Adaptation Scientist
Joseph is a trained marine biologist and climate ecologist with 7 years of experience researching marine, estuarine, and freshwater systems from the lenses of ecosystem-based management and climate change. He holds a B.Sc. in Marine Science from Coastal Carolina University and an M.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Resources from West Virginia University. Joseph has led and worked on research associated with fisheries population dynamics, tourism impacts on coral reef systems, arctic macroinvertebrate assemblages, management techniques for fisheries, climate vulnerability, and human dimensions. His current research portfolio focuses on understanding climate change vulnerability for ecosystems in Appalachia and how conservation practitioners can promote resilience and equity in their strategies. In his free time, Joseph is a traditional-style rock climber, bird enthusiast, backpacker, and lover of a particular Siberian husky.
Leigh Kirchner
Development Officer
Leigh Kirchner brings a decade of seasoned leadership experience in nonprofit environmental advocacy and development to Alaska Wildlife Alliance. With a background that includes roles such as Advancement Manager and Director of Development and Donor Relations, Leigh has a proven track record in securing funding and managing donor relationships. Leigh is a graduate of Appalachian State University and Virginia Commonwealth University. She is also actively involved in community service, contributing expertise to organizations like Wild Virginia, where she serves on the board of directors.
Nicole Schmitt
Executive Director
Nicole has dedicated her professional life to grassroots mobilization and philanthropic administration. Nicole’s interest in Alaska’s wildlife began as a teenager, when she worked on the crew of a salmon setnetting operation in Kasilof, Alaska. She then studied geography and international development at the University of Denver in partnership with Peking University in Beijing, splitting her degrees between the United States and China. After completing her research thesis abroad, Nicole returned to the US to work in research and grants management for various government agencies and nonprofit organizations—including the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, Yosemite National Park, and the Global Greengrants Fund. Nicole was excited to return to Alaska to exercise her skills for Alaska’s wildlife, and since then has been recognized as an “outstanding young professional” in Alaska’s 2022 Top Forty Under 40 class. When she’s not in the office, Nicole can be found biking, running, kayaking, or climbing across Alaska with her dog, Riley.
Kelli Shermeyer
Development Officer
Kelli Shermeyer is a writer and strategist with over a decade of experience across the higher education, nonprofit, and arts/culture sectors. Prior to joining CIMA, she was the Institutional Giving Manager at the Wilma Theater where she managed the full life cycle of grants from foundation, government, and corporate partners and developed strategic initiatives. Kelli holds a PhD from the University of Virginia, where her research focused on theater as a form of environmental communication. While at UVA, she co-founded and directed the Public Humanities Lab, which supported graduate students conducting research and advocacy projects with community partners. She’s passionate about serving organizations engaged in building more connected, resilient, and creative communities, as well as those that champion environmental justice and climate change adaptations.
TERESA BECHER
Central Kenai Peninsula Coordinator,
Kenai & Kasilof Beluga Monitoring Coordinator
Teresa is a Natural Sciences student at the University of Alaska with a focus on pre-veterinary medicine. She retired from the California Highway Patrol in 2014 after twenty-five years of service as a peace officer and moved to Soldotna Alaska to start a new life adventure. She loves animals and has spent most of her adult life working with dog and cat rescue groups, in addition to caring for her many pets. Teresa has a previous bachelor’s degree in Government but returned to college to pursue a degree in the sciences. In the last year she has been given the opportunity to monitor beluga whales on the Kenai and Kasilof Rivers through the Alaska Beluga Monitoring Partnership, AWA and the Kenai Peninsula College. When she is not monitoring beluga whales or studying, she is hiking with her dogs, exploring Alaska and traveling.
our Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors brings together a diverse group of individuals united by a deep respect for nature and a passion for conservation. With backgrounds ranging from wildlife biology to environmental science, Indigenous traditional councils to marine conservation, our directors offer a rich mix of experience and insight.
Their varied perspectives help us protect and advocate for Alaska’s wildlife in thoughtful, impactful ways.
AWA Advisory committee
Our Advisory Committee supports the Board of Directors in areas of strategy and outreach.
Bob Armstrong
Tina M. Brown
Valerie Connor
Nick Jans
Johnny Johnson
Andrew Josephson
Robert Glenn Ketchum
Dune Lankard
Michael McBride
Jenny Pursell
Kathy Sarns
Alex Simon
John Toppenberg
Lowell Thomas Jr. (In Memoriam)
Own or work at a business that supports wildlife? Become a sponsor!
Learn more on our Corporate Sponsorship page.
